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Venezuelan authorities and civilians are still attempting to cope with what is considered to be the worst natural disaster in this country’s history. In the middle of the holiday season, torrential rains brought about massive flooding and destruction in the northern part of the country. The waters caused avalanches of mud to plow through coastal villages, burying entire towns, knocking utilities and most of the infrastructure of the affected areas out of commission . The scenes of devastation are reminiscent of the aftermath of Hurricane Mitch, as massive flooding has killed thousands and caused billions of dollars in damage. Heavy rains gave warning signs that went unheeded by government officials and residents of high-risk areas. Having been drenched continuously for days, swollen rivers jumped their banks, and avalanches of mud swept away neighborhoods and entire villages, ripping apart bridges and highways. Residences crumbled like houses of cards, crushing their inhabitants. An unknown number of villages along the coast were submerged or swept away leaving hundreds homeless. Former villages are now giant reservoirs of mud and debris where scattered personal belongings are all that remain of the homes that once stood. The capabilities of the government and relief organizations have been exceeded by the magnitude of this calamity. The enormous number of displaced persons and injured has strained the resources of hospitals hampered by the lack of power and water. The number of people in need is overwhelming, and many are still waiting either to be rescued or to receive their first relief supplies. Officials are struggling to rescue, feed and shelter a growing number of displaced persons. Relief crews struggle to provide victims with fresh water, food, and medicine in an attempt to control a death toll that increases by the hour, but as hunger and diseases continue to develop many who survived the floods have died in its aftermath.
Local news media continue to air pictures of children found wandering lost, in a desperate effort to find their parents, most feared dead. Heavy debris, washed out roads and scarce resources continue to make all rescue efforts almost impossible. Government officials state that thousands are feared dead, providing casualty figures that are expected to increase as more victims are recovered, based on the great number of people missing and the extent of the area devastated. Thousands of bodies are still buried underneath the rubble of entire neighborhoods which official help cannot reach. The number of deaths is likely to reach over 30,000--topping the 1965 earthquake. Entire towns and families have been destroyed by the devastation. Up to 125,000 victims are homeless so far, having lost their homes and all of their possessions. No one really knows what the exact numbers are, only that the grim reality is expected to exceed even the worst estimates. Most casualties of these flash floods and mudslides cannot be reached, as they are buried beneath masses of debris and thus pose a major health threat to survivors, especially children. Authorities and volunteers in the affected areas are battling impossible odds: areas completely isolated due to collapsed roads, entire towns covered by sediment, rocks and mud, complete neighborhoods destroyed, with high rises buried in mud sometimes up to the fourth floor, some appearing to give way under the added pressure, residents stranded on roof tops for days without end. Rescue workers continue to pull corpses from collapsed houses, rivers and the ocean. The only highway connecting Caracas, the capital, with its international airport on the coast has been severely damaged, and is being used only by military and rescue vehicles. This has created acute shortages of gasoline, drinking water and food in the hard-hit coastal region. Displaced victims have camped in the Maiquetía international airport, which is expected to remain closed for the foreseeable future. Other public buildings have also been converted into makeshift shelters for the displaced. People have been forced to depend on relief workers for sustenance, causing a severe shortage of supplies. For the grief-stricken survivors, the main concern now is how to spend their days and nights until the situation returns to normalcy. An increasing number of children have been reported sick with eye infections, diarrhea or gastroenteritis. Epidemics are considered inevitable, as stagnant waters and decomposing bodies turn the disaster areas into breeding grounds for disease. Cleaning-up, reconstruction and restoration of utilities and basic services are expected to take months. While it is still impossible to quantify the damages, it is expected that the recovery cost will be in the billions of dollars. For more information see:http://www.disaterrelief.org/Disasters/991217Venezuela/ (outdated link, web master). If you need more information, or would like to know how you can help, please contact us at info@arranca.com
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